OCT3/4 expression is correlated with the invasion of gastric carcinoma

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of OCT3/4 on the invasion and metastasis ability of gastric cancer. First, the expression level of OCT3/4 was detected in gastric cancer tissues of different tumor-node-metastasis stages. Furthermore, the correlation between the expression of OCT3/4 and the invasion ability of gastric cancer cells, and the probable regulatory mechanism were observed by RNA interference of OCT3/4 in gastric cancer cell strain MKN28, so as to provide the molecular mechanism for the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. The present study found the expression of OCT3/4 in gastric carcinoma tissues (22.56±8.72%) was markedly higher compared with that in para-cancer tissue (1.12±0.18%) (P<0.01). The expression of OCT3/4 was associated with the infiltration degree, and demonstrated an increasing tendency from Tis-T4 stages or from N0-N3. The expression of OCT3/4 in M0 tissues was markedly lower than that in M1 tissues (P<0.01). The level of OCT3/4 was markedly decreased following transfection with OCT3/4 small interfering (si)RNA (P<0.01). The number of cell clones was reduced in a dose-dependent manner following transfection with increasing levels of siRNA, and the number of cells that permeated through the filter membrane was also decreased. It may be concluded that the expression of OCT3/4 increases along with the degree of the infiltration and metastasis of gastric carcinoma, and that OCT3/4 siRNA inhibits the invasion of gastric carcinoma cells.